-
Diaz led the first European expedition to successfully round the southern tip of Africa, opening a sea route to the Indian Ocean. -
Columbus, sailing under the Spanish crown, embarked on his famous first voyage, landing in the Caribbean islands. This event marked the beginning of European exploration and colonization of the Americas. -
Cabot's most significant expedition was his first voyage in 1497, when he sailed across the North Atlantic and reached the coast of North America. He is believed to have made landfall, likely in Newfoundland, marking one of the earliest European explorations of North America. -
Da Gama embarked on a historic expedition to establish a sea route to India, which he successfully accomplished in 1498. This voyage opened up lucrative trade routes with Asia. -
Cortés began his career in the New World by joining Diego Velázquez's expedition to conquer Cuba. He quickly distinguished himself as a capable and resourceful leader. -
Cortés and his men landed on the coast of Mexico and initiated the conquest of the Aztec Empire. -
Verrazzano was an Italian explorer who discovered present-day Block Island, Narragansett Bay, and New York Harbor. He created a map consisting information of his findings from early descriptions of the people who lived in North Carolina and their environment. -
Verrazzano is best known for his exploration of the eastern coast of North America. In 1524, he sailed under the flag of King Francis I of France and explored the Atlantic coast of North America from the Carolinas to Newfoundland. During this voyage, he entered New York Harbor, which was later named after him (Verrazano Narrows Bridge and Verrazano-Narrows Strait). His exploration helped to expand European knowledge of North America. -
Cartier's purpose of his voyage was to find a passage using the Northwest to Asia. He had voyaged three times throughout 1534-1542, collecting valuable riches and spices along his journey. -
In 1572, Drake led an expedition to the Spanish settlement of Nombre de Dios in present-day Panama. During the raid, he and his men captured a large quantity of silver and other valuable goods, marking one of his early successful privateering ventures. -
Drake is best known for leading the second expedition to circumnavigate the globe. He set sail from England in 1577 with a fleet of five ships, and although he faced numerous challenges and hardships, he successfully completed the circumnavigation in 1580, making him one of the first captains to achieve this feat. -
Drake's flagship, the Golden Hind, was the only ship to complete the circumnavigation. Upon his return to England in 1580, the cargo aboard the Golden Hind made Drake a national hero. Queen Elizabeth I knighted him aboard the ship. -
During the Spanish Armada crisis of 1588, Drake played a vital role as a vice admiral of the English fleet. His strategic brilliance and daring tactics contributed to the English victory over the powerful Spanish Armada, securing England's naval dominance. -
The formation of the East India Company in 1600 marked the beginning of English involvement in the spice trade and paved the way for British imperialism in India and Southeast Asia. -
The establishment of the Dutch East India Company in 1602 initiated Dutch dominance in the spice trade and positioned the Dutch Republic as a significant colonial power in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Americas. -
An English navigator who made four voyages to North America, discovering two huge bodies of water that would later on be named after him. His goal was to find a Northeast passage or at least similar, but neither of them were found. -
Hudson decided to seek out a passage over the North Pole through the Arctic to Asia. Despite his failed efforts, his journey heavily contributed to the navigation of North America. -
The Dutch East India Company's founding of Batavia (Jakarta) in 1619 solidified Dutch control over the spice trade and established a major colonial hub in Southeast Asia, serving as a symbol of Dutch colonial dominance and further exploration and colonization. -
The series of Anglo-Dutch Wars in the 17th century were critical conflicts over trade and colonial supremacy that influenced the balance of power in European maritime trade and the development of international maritime law. -
The Treaty of Breda, concluding the Second Anglo-Dutch War, led to the exchange of New Amsterdam (New York) from the Dutch to the English, shaping North American colonization and British expansion in the Americas.